Intraoral device and method of use

ABSTRACT

An intraoral device includes a flexible body having an upper front flap including evacuation holes and a upper edge; an upper rear flap forming an upper pocket with the upper front flap and including internal channels and a upper edge separated from the upper edge of the upper front flap to form an upper pocket opening, the internal channels terminating in grooves along the upper edge; a lower front flap including evacuation holes and a lower edge; a lower rear flap forming a lower pocket with the lower front flap and including internal channels and a lower edge separated from the lower edge of the lower front flap to form an lower pocket opening, the internal channels terminating in grooves along the lower edge.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates, in general, to dental appliances, and, inparticular, to dental appliances for vacuum suction of the mouth of adental patient for examination and/or operative purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

During dental examination and/or operation, a number of fluids, e.g.,saliva from the parotid gland, blood, water from the dental equipment,are produced in the patient's mouth. It is important to remove thesefluids for the comfort of the patient, to prevent fluids and materialfrom being aspirated into the throat or lungs of the patient, and toassist the health care provider in observing and/or operating within thepatient's mouth.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the invention involves an intraoral device that removesfluids from all areas of the mouth, e.g., operating side, vestibule areaon the operation side, the lingual vestibule (along the side of thetongue), contra-lateral side vestibule, eliminating the need forconstant patient mouth rinsing and the need for a dental assistant toaspirate debris.

Another aspect of the invention involves an intraoral device comprisinga flexible body comprising an upper front flap including evacuationholes and a upper edge; an upper rear flap forming an upper pocket withthe upper front flap and including internal channels and a upper edgeseparated from the upper edge of the upper front flap to form an upperpocket opening, the internal channels terminating in grooves along theupper edge; a lower front flap including evacuation holes and a loweredge; a lower rear flap forming a lower pocket with the lower front flapand including internal channels and a lower edge separated from thelower edge of the lower front flap to form an lower pocket opening, theinternal channels terminating in grooves along the lower edge, whereinin a non-vacuum state the upper pocket opening and lower pocket openingare open and in a vacuum state the upper pocket opening and lower pocketopening are substantially sealed closed so that aspiration of fluidsfrom the patient's mouth occurs through the evacuation holes in thefront flaps and grooves, which become fluid inlets for drawing fluidsthrough the channels, of the rear flaps.

One or more implementations of the above aspect of the invention includeone or more of the following: the evacuation holes are in the frontflaps and not in the rear flaps; the grooves are in the rear flaps at anintersection of the edges and the internal channels of the rear flapsand not in the front flaps; the internal channels are vertical channels;the internal channels form corresponding external ridges in the rearflaps; the evacuation holes communicate with and are aligned with theinternal channels; the intraoral device includes a horizontally andlongitudinally extending spine, an upper internal evacuation channeldisposed above the spine in the upper pocket, and a lower internalevacuation channel disposed below the spine in the lower pocket; and/orthe intraoral device includes an upper portion above the spine and alower portion below the spine that are vertically symmetrical.

Another aspect of the invention involves a method of using the intraoraldevice of the aspect of the invention (or one or more implementations)described above. The method comprises inserting the intraoral deviceinto the patient's mouth so that the upper edges of the upper flapscontact an upper part of the patient's mouth and the lower edges of thelower flaps contact a lower part of tongue within the mouth of thepatient; applying vacuum state to the intraoral device so that the upperpocket opening and lower pocket opening are substantially sealed closedand the grooves become fluid inlets for drawing fluids through thechannels; and aspirating fluids from the patient's mouth through theevacuation holes in the front flaps and into the channels through thegrooves.

Other, more particular features and advantages of the inventions are setforth in the following detailed description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings illustrate both the design and utility of preferredembodiments of the present invention, in which similar elements arereferred to by common reference numbers, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of the intraoraldevice shown inside a patient's mouth;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the intraoral device;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the intraoral device;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the intraoral device;

FIG. 5 is a left side elevational view of the intraoral device;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the intraoral device;

FIG. 7 is a right side elevational of the intraoral device;

FIG. 8 Is a rear elevational view of the intraoral illumination device;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the intraoral device;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the intraoral device taken alonglines 10-10 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 11 is another rear perspective view of the intraoral device;

FIG. 12 is another plan view of the intraoral device;

FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view of the intraoral device;

FIG. 14 is another cross-sectional view of the intraoral device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1-14, an embodiment of an intraoral device 200that removes fluids from all areas of a patient's mouth 202 will now bedescribed. The intraoral device 200 is preferably a one-piece, flexible,integrated molded body made of a single homogeneous material orcombination of materials. The intraoral device 200 is preferably moldedout of a translucent (e.g., transparent), flexible, soft, elastic,resilient, biocompatible thermoplastic elastomer. The intraoral device200 is also vertically symmetrical so that an upper portion 210 issymmetric with respect to a lower portion 220 relative to spine 365.This allows the same intraoral device 200 to be positioned on either theleft side or the right side of the patient's mouth. The intraoral device200 may also come in different sizes for different-size mouths. Theintraoral device 200 is also disposable after each use. The intraoraldevice 200 may be used to provide vacuum suction or the intraoral device200 may be used to provide vacuum suction and illumination.

The single-piece intraoral device 200 generally includes integratedtongue and cheek retractor 240, bite piece 250, and connection section570, each of which will be described in turn below. In alternativeembodiments, one or more of the tongue and cheek retractor 240, bitepiece 250, and connection section 570 are separate, connectablecomponents.

The tongue and cheek retractor 240 has inner surfaces 260 and outersurfaces 270. The retractor 240 includes an incurved main body portion280 and a forwardly angled cheek retractor (or “fish/whale tail”)portion 290 joined by isthmus portion 300.

The retractor 240 includes an upper front flap 310, an upper rear flap320, a lower front flap 330, and a lower rear flap 340. The front flaps310, 330 and rear flaps 320, 340 are separated by an upper pocketopening or upper gap 350 and lower pocket opening or lower gap 360,respectively. The front flaps 310, 320 and the rear flaps 320, 340(minus V-shaped grooves 416) respectively define envelopes that are thesame and aligned with each other. The flaps 310, 320, 330, 340 allextend from and share a common, central spine 365. The spine 365 extendshorizontally and longitudinally a majority of the length of theretractor 240 and divides the upper half 210 from the lower half 220 ofthe intraoral device 200. In addition to serving as the intersectionlocation for the flaps 310, 320, 330, 340, in an embodiment of theintraoral device 200 where the intraoral device 200 is an intraoralillumination and vacuum suction device, the spine 365 may serve as alight pipe and act as a separator for an upper internal evacuationchannel 418 above the spine 365 and a lower internal evacuation channel419 below the spine 365.

In the embodiment shown, the front flaps 310, 330 have a flat, outerfront surface with evacuation holes 410 therein and the rear flaps 320,340 include curved, outwardly extending, vertical ridges 412 with noevacuation holes 410. On an interior surface of the ridges 412,respective incurved vertical channels 414 (with no evacuation holes 410,similar to ridges 412) are formed. In an alternative embodiment, aninterior surface of the rear flaps 320, 340 include the incurvedvertical channels 414 and an exterior surface of the rear flaps 320, 340is substantially flat/smooth (i.e., does not include ridges 412). Theevacuation holes 410 of the front flaps 310, 330 are vertically alignedwith the ridges 412/channels 414, but the ridges 412/channels 414 do notinclude the evacuation holes 410. The ridges 412/channels 414 are not inthe front flaps 310, 330. The channels 414 terminate at one end in spine365 and at an opposite end terminate in V-shaped grooves or slots 416 inthe rear flaps 320, 340 (at an intersection of the edges 380, 400 andthe internal vertical channels 414 of the rear flaps 320, 340). Thereare no V-shaped grooves 416 in front flaps 310, 330. In an alternativeembodiment, the grooves or slots 416 are U-shaped grooves. In furtherembodiments, the grooves 416 are only in front flaps 310, 330 or are inboth the front flaps 310, 330 and the rear flaps 320, 340.

The ridges 412, which run along outer surface 270 of rear flaps 320,340, terminate at opposite ends in the V-shaped grooves 416. In analternative embodiment, there are no ridges 412, and V-shaped grooves416 are smaller and simply cut into the flaps. The length of thechannels 414 is about ½ the length of the ridges 412. In a preferredembodiment, the channels 414 and ridges 412 are vertical, not angled,and are perpendicularly disposed relative to spine 365. In alternativeembodiments, the channels 414/ridges 412 are angled relative to spine365.

In use, when vacuum forces imparted to the intraoral device 200 by avacuum source cause the front flaps 310, 330 and the rear flaps 320, 340to be drawn together, the channels 414 of the rear flaps 320, 340 remainin communication with the interior of the patient's mouth through theV-shaped grooves 416 and the evacuation holes 410 along the front flaps310, 330 remain in communication with both the channels 414 and theinterior of the patient's mouth. Thus, the evacuation holes 410 in thefront flaps 310, 330 and rearwardly extending ridges 412/channels414N-shaped grooves 416 in the rear flaps 320, 340, in combination, donot close with oral-tissue blocking areas in the patient's mouth. Nothaving evacuation holes in the rear flaps 320, 340, and especially nothaving evacuation holes in the rear flaps 320, 340 aligned with theevacuation holes 410 of the front flaps 320, 340 prevents spray from awater three-way syringe from passing through the intraoral device 200and into the patient's throat.

FIG. 14 illustrate upper internal evacuation channel 418 and lowerinternal evacuation channel 419 adjacent the spine 365 that do not close(due to rigidity of spine 365) when the vacuum forces imparted to theintraoral device 200 by a vacuum source cause the front flaps 310, 330and the rear flaps 320, 340 to be drawn together. FIG. 14 alsoillustrates the fluid path through the intraoral device 200 when thefront flaps 310, 330 and the rear flaps 320, 340 are drawn together bythe vacuum forces. The evacuation holes 410 in the front flaps 310, 330and rearwardly extending ridges 412/channels 414N-shaped grooves 416 inthe rear flaps 320, 340, in combination, allow the upper internalevacuation channel 418 and lower internal evacuation channel 419 to besmaller than was possible in the past because of the improvedcommunication between the channels 418/419 and interior of the patient'smouth caused by the evacuation holes 410, ridges 412/channels 414, andV-shaped grooves 416.

Although eight evacuation holes 410, four ridges 412, and eight channels414 are shown, in alternative embodiments, the number and/or location ofevacuation holes 410, ridges 412, and/or channels 414 may vary.

The upper front flap 310 and the upper rear flap 320 are configured torest or flex against the paletal area or roof of the patient's mouth 36during use. The upper roof of the mouth spans the upper gap 350 andpushes or bends the upper front flap 310 and the upper rear flap 320forward to create a substantial seal along upper edges 370, 380, whichare aligned with each other (excepted for the V-shaped grooves 416),creating a substantially sealed upper internal evacuation channel 418 inthe upper gap 350, but yet still in communication with the patient'smouth through the evacuation holes 410 in the front flaps 310, 330 andthe rearwardly extending ridges 412/channels 414N-shaped grooves 416 inthe rear flaps 320, 340. Similarly, the lower front flap 330 and thelower rear flap 340 are configured to rest or flex against the lingualarea of mouth or tongue to keep the tongue protected and retractedduring use. The tongue and floor of the patient's mouth span the lowergap 360 and forms a substantially seal along lower edges 390, 400, whichare aligned with each other (excepted for the V-shaped grooves 416),creating a substantially sealed lower internal evacuation channel in thelower gap 360, but yet still in communication with the patient's mouththrough the evacuation holes 410 in the front flaps 310, 330 and therearwardly extending ridges 412/channels 414N-shaped grooves 416 in therear flaps 320, 340. Thus, in a non-vacuum state, the upper pocketopening 350 and lower pocket opening 360 are open and in a vacuum statethe upper pocket opening 350 and lower pocket opening 360 aresubstantially sealed closed so that aspiration of fluids from thepatient's mouth occurs through the evacuation holes 410 in the frontflaps 310, 330 and the V-shaped grooves 416, which become fluid inletsfor drawing fluids through the vertical channels 414, of the rear flaps320, 340.

The cheek retractor portion 290 has an angled, curved, generallyfish/whale-tail shape. In use, the cheek retractor portion 290 is flexedinward towards the main body portion 280 and rests against the innercheek tissue between the cheek tissue and the outside of the teeth. Withthe cheek retractor portion 290 flexed, the upper flaps 310, 320 andlower flaps 330, 340 are closed together, forming a substantial sealalong the upper edges 370, 380 and the lower edges 390, 400 of theretractor 240 adjacent where the isthmus portion 300 and cheek retractorportion 290 join, but yet still in communication with the patient'smouth through the evacuation holes 410 in the front flaps 310, 330 andthe rearwardly extending ridges 412/channels 414N-shaped grooves 416 inthe rear flaps 320, 340.

When the tongue and cheek retractor 240 is positioned within thepatient's mouth (similar to that shown in FIG. 1), the flexed upperflaps 310, 320, the flexed lower flaps 330, 340, and the flexed cheekretractor portion 290 form an envelope for isolating an area of interestin the patient's mouth and protect the upper roof, tongue and cheek ofthe patient's mouth from instruments such as dental drills during thedental procedure and prevent aspiration of debris or dropped items intothe patient's throat.

The bite piece 250 includes symmetric, opposite tooth-engaging portionsjoined by an intermediate connection portion and allows for flexible,resilient, elastic movement of the tooth engaging portions in vertical,longitudinal, and lateral directions with respect to each other to allowvertical, longitudinal, and lateral biting movement by the patient formaximum biting comfort. The bite piece 250 includes a suction cavity 500and a pair of vacuum holes 510 to allow a vacuum force to be provided inthe cavity 500 for suctioning fluids in the area of the retro molar padand the maxillary tuberosity of the patient's mouth.

The connection section 570 extends from the bite piece 250 and aproximal portion 580 of the retractor 240. The connection section 570 isconfigured to extend outside of a patient's mouth and attach to amulti-lumen vacuum connector/device for delivering vacuum suction (orvacuum suction and illumination) to the intraoral device 200.

The connection section 570 includes an open-ended tube 590 having agenerally elliptical cross-section that tapers slightly in height as thetube 590 intersects the bite piece 250 and the proximal portion 580 ofthe retractor 240. An interior of the open-ended tube 590 defines a mainvacuum channel 595. Adjacent the bite piece 250 and the proximal portion580 of the retractor 240, the connection section 570 includes acylindrical tube-shaped illumination connector 600 for transmittinglight to the spine 365 and for supporting a plug portion of a vacuumconnector. On opposite vertical sides of the illumination connector 600,where the illumination connector 600 joins the proximal portion 580 ofthe retractor 240, upper and lower vacuum ports 610, 620 communicate themain vacuum channel 595 with the upper and lower internal evacuationchannels 418, 419 of the retractor 240. The main vacuum channel 595communicates with the suction cavity 500 through the vacuum holes 510.

In use, the intraoral device 200 is inserted into the patient's mouth202 so that the upper edges 370, 380 of the upper flaps 310, 320 contactan upper part of the patient's mouth 202 and the lower edges 390, 400 ofthe lower flaps 330, 340 contact a lower part of tongue within the mouth202 of the patient; a vacuum state is applied to the intraoral device200 so that the upper pocket opening 350 and lower pocket opening 360are substantially sealed closed and the V-shaped grooves 416 becomefluid inlets for drawing fluids through the vertical channels 414; andfluids from the patient's mouth are aspirated through the evacuationholes 410 in the front flaps 310, 330 and into the vertical channels 414through the V-shaped grooves 416.

Although this invention has been described in terms of certain preferredembodiments, other embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill inthe art are also within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, thescope of the invention is intended to be defined only by the claims thatfollow.

1. An intraoral device, comprising: a flexible body, comprising: anupper front flap including evacuation holes and an upper edge; an upperrear flap forming an upper pocket with the upper front flap andincluding internal channels and a upper edge separated from the upperedge of the upper front flap to form an upper pocket opening, theinternal channels terminating in grooves along the upper edge; a lowerfront flap including evacuation holes and a lower edge; a lower rearflap forming a lower pocket with the lower front flap and includinginternal channels and a lower edge separated from the lower edge of thelower front flap to form an lower pocket opening, the internal channelsterminating in grooves along the lower edge, wherein in a non-vacuumstate the upper pocket opening and lower pocket opening are open and ina vacuum state the upper pocket opening and lower pocket opening aresubstantially sealed closed so that aspiration of fluids from thepatient's mouth occurs through the evacuation holes in the front flapsand grooves, which become fluid inlets for drawing fluids through thechannels, of the rear flaps.
 2. The intraoral device of claim 1, whereinthe evacuation holes are in the front flaps and not in the rear flaps.3. The intraoral device of claim 1, wherein the grooves are in the rearflaps at an intersection of the edges and the internal channels of therear flaps and not in the front flaps.
 4. The intraoral device of claim1, wherein the internal channels are vertical channels.
 5. The intraoraldevice of claim 1, wherein the internal channels form correspondingexternal ridges in the rear flaps.
 7. The intraoral device of claim 1,wherein the evacuation holes communicate with and are aligned with theinternal channels.
 8. The intraoral device of claim 1, wherein theintraoral device includes a horizontally and longitudinally extendingspine, an upper internal evacuation channel disposed above the spine inthe upper pocket, and a lower internal evacuation channel disposed belowthe spine in the lower pocket.
 9. The intraoral device of claim 1,wherein the intraoral device includes an upper portion above the spineand a lower portion below the spine that are vertically symmetrical. 10.A method of using the intraoral device of claim 1, comprising: insertingthe intraoral device into the patient's mouth so that the upper edges ofthe upper flaps contact an upper part of the patient's mouth and thelower edges of the lower flaps contact a lower part of tongue within themouth of the patient; applying vacuum state to the intraoral device sothat the upper pocket opening and lower pocket opening are substantiallysealed closed and the grooves become fluid inlets for drawing fluidsthrough the channels; aspirating fluids from the patient's mouth throughthe evacuation holes in the front flaps and into the channels throughthe grooves.
 11. The intraoral device of claim 1, wherein the lower rearflap and the upper rear flap define a profile, the lower front flap andthe upper front flap define a profile, and the profile of the lower rearflap and the upper rear flap is the same as the profile of the lowerfront flap and the upper front flap except for the grooves.
 12. Anintraoral device, comprising: a flexible body, comprising: an upperfront flap including an upper edge; an upper rear flap forming an upperpocket with the upper front flap and an upper edge separated from theupper edge of the upper front flap to form an upper pocket opening, theupper rear flap including grooves along the upper edge; a lower frontflap including a lower edge; a lower rear flap forming a lower pocketwith the lower front flap and a lower edge separated from the lower edgeof the lower front flap to form an lower pocket opening, the lower rearflap including grooves along the lower edge, wherein in a non-vacuumstate the upper pocket opening and lower pocket opening are open and ina vacuum state the upper pocket opening and lower pocket opening aresubstantially sealed closed so that aspiration of fluids from thepatient's mouth occurs through the grooves, which become fluid inlets inthe upper rear flaps and lower rear flaps for drawing fluids into theintraoral device.
 13. The intraoral device of claim 12, wherein thelower rear flap and the upper rear flap define a profile, the lowerfront flap and the upper front flap define a profile, and the profile ofthe lower rear flap and the upper rear flap is the same as the profileof the lower front flap and the upper front flap except for the grooves.14. An intraoral device, comprising: a flexible body, comprising: anupper front flap and an upper edge; an upper rear flap forming an upperpocket with the upper front flap and including internal channels and aupper edge separated from the upper edge of the upper front flap to forman upper pocket opening; a lower front flap including a lower edge; alower rear flap forming a lower pocket with the lower front flap andincluding internal channels and a lower edge separated from the loweredge of the lower front flap to form an lower pocket opening, wherein ina non-vacuum state the upper pocket opening and lower pocket opening areopen and in a vacuum state the upper pocket opening and lower pocketopening are substantially sealed closed whereby aspiration of fluidsfrom the patient's mouth occurs through the channels.
 15. The intraoraldevice of claim 14, wherein the internal channels are in the lower rearflap and in the upper rear flap, but not in the lower front flap andupper front flap.
 16. The intraoral device of claim 15, wherein in anon-vacuum state, the internal channels are in communication with theupper pocket and the lower pocket.